The invention relates to a modular device to receive and to introduce at least two optical systems into the beam path or into the optical axis of an optical device.
An exchangeable support for fluorescence units in an inverted microscope is known from German Offenlegungsschrift No. 3,230,504. The supports there are disposed adjacent one another and can be inserted alternately into the beam path by utilizing a gear-like arrangement. An alteration of the relative spacing between the provided fluorescence tubes is not possible with this known device.
From German Offenlegungsschrift No. 2,055,944, a fluorescence reflected light illuminator is known, in which the individual components are combined into a linear or curved slider, or are placed in a row in the manner of a link chain. The spacing between two neighboring components also cannot be altered in a controlled manner.
Finally, from German Patent Specification No. 2,316,386 discloses a fluorescence reflected light illuminator in which the components are fitted on an axial rotary support and can be introduced alternately into the beam path by gear means is known.
All three of these known arrangements suffer from the disadvantage that a controlled alteration of the relative spacing between two neighboring components is not possible.
Modern microscopes permit the performance of not only traditional microscopic investigation involving the use of reflected light, transmitted light, phase contrast, etc., but also of investigations utilizing fluorescence microscopy, particularly multiple fluorochrome sensitization processes, on a selective basis. It was formerly not possible to switch over rapidly from the traditional microscopic methods to the modern methods of investigation utilizing fluorescence microscopy--and vice versa--without undertaking more or less extensive rebuilding operations or adapting operations involving the microscope. Either the image selection focussed at the particular time, on the object to be investigated, became lost, or else the objective required refocussing.